The Unauthorized Preacher
A man committed to the state asylum after an erratic attempt to seize a local pulpit is sent back to care.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Frank Johnson, the man who got mixed up with Rev. Reed's pulpit, has been committed by Judge Chapman to Steilacoom. His reason for attempting the preaching act on Sunday last was because Rev. Reed was absent and he didn't see why his preaching wouldn't do. Johnson was committed to the asylum from this county September 1, 1900, under the name of C. P. Johnson. His mania then was directed chiefly against the pope and Catholics in general. In 1901 he escaped, but was recaptured. Drs. Balabanoff and Coleman conducted the examination, and Messrs. Sullivan, Hallay, Fell and Frederickson were called as witnesses.
“His reason for attempting the preaching act on Sunday last was because Rev. Reed was absent and he didn't see why his preaching wouldn't do.”
This story highlights the era's clinical approach to mental health, where 'mania' and erratic public behavior were handled through commitment to the Western State Hospital in Steilacoom. It reflects the struggle to balance public order with the treatment of individuals navigating severe mental health crises.
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